Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4 (section)

==4.07 Chiharu The Last==

Chiharu was being pulled along by Chami as they run up the escalator.

Mushi… Mushitsuki… Aria Varei—.

The current scene she was saw through her eyes, and the words of the strange girl cycled back and forth in her mind repeatedly.

“Move your legs faster, you dimwit!”

She couldn’t even hear Chami’s rebuke.

—Then… who am I going to become?

The voice of the past her echoed within her head.

“Who… am I…”

Chiharu’s muttering voice was drowned out by the sound of destruction.

Right after they reached the fifteenth floor, the ground on the previous floor they were at crumbled and collapsed below. Dust, smoke and wreckage flew everywhere.

“''Tch…!''”

It seemed that this floor was set aside for restaurants. Glass partitions separated the space into fixed intervals, which hanged sign plates with the name of the restaurants in several languages. Some stores even had tables and chairs in position already.

A huge wriggling blueish black centipede emerged from the crumbling floor. Just its height alone was multiple times that of Chiharu. With its innumerable scuttling legs, its huge body alone occupied a whole section of the floor.

“''GRRuoOO… Ooowwlll''…”

Along with its appearance, they could hear a beast-like howl.

The man riding on the centipede’s back glared daggers in their direction as if he wanted to swallow them up entirely. The lens of his goggles was cracked on one side, revealing his bloodshot eye. His mask was also torn, exposing his canine teeth as he roared in anger.

“''OooowwWwlll!'' So you were the one getting in my way!”

That hollering voice that was even louder than the roar of the centipede scattered away the surrounding smoke.

“God damn it…! Couldn’t that kid have tried a bit harder? I’ve already come so far… if only he could’ve bought me a few more minutes!”

Chami stopped running and released her grip on Chiharu’s arm. She faced the masked man and raised the spanner.

“Fuyuhotaru… and Horisaki Azusa, where the hell are theeeeey!”

“Who the hell knows! After all, I planned on taking my own sweet time to search for them after killing you! In any case, the only place that they could go is up!”

“''GRRroOo…!''”

The man raising a growl did not seem like he was listening to what Chami was saying anymore. He looked to be heavily injured, with fresh blood soaking the lower half of his body. Yet, he was so angry that he screamed with all his strength.

The body of the blue centipede grew one size bigger. Its mouthpiece split into two parts, with a red centipede emerging from the other and staring at Chami ominously with its compound eyes.

“Looks like he’s at just about the right level of madness, but… for Christ’s sake, why the hell is he still alive even with that kind of injury! Even that Mushi looked like it was half-dead just now! And it doesn’t look like it’s maturing… could this be due to my ability?”

Spitting out words of curse, Chami pointed the spanner at Chiharu.

“Don’t just stand there blankly like an idiot, get the hell away from here! Unless you want to get eaten by it!”

At Chami’s shout, Chiharu came to herself.

“C-Chami-chan…!”

Pinned down by the pressure she exerted, Chiharu took a step back.

Just what was I—.

Right in front of Chiharu whose legs were shaking and frozen by fear, the centipede hurtled towards Chami.

“As you wish, I shall deal with you directly, Kanata! You better thank me, you undying bastard!”

“''GRrOAAAaa!''”

It was like a huge dinosaur was approaching her. The jaws of the centipede opened till its width was so large to the extent that it could devour something three times the size of Chami. It shattered through the glass and swallowed all the tables and chairs that got in the way of its charge.

Chami jumped to her side, barely avoiding those fangs. Its huge mouthpiece crashed right next to Chiharu who stood behind her. A gust of wind like that of an express train passing by blew across Chiharu, causing her hat to be blown away.

“…!”

“Don’t underestimate me!”

Jumping up with a revolution from the ground, Chami dashed towards the man.

“Without using your Mushi, why don’t you face me yourself! Or is it that you are scared of a tiny girl like me?”

The swinging spanner was aimed towards the face of the man riding above the centipede. The man—Kanata received the blow with his arms with a look of wrath.

“You’re saying I’m scared…!”

Kanata kicked at Chami. However, she instantly blocked it with the handle of the spanner. She was sent flying backwards as a result of their weight difference, but she caught her feet after recoiling back a few steps.

Her arms had probably gone numb, seeing as how her face distorted. But, she showed zero signs of backing down.

Chiharu could tell that Chami was desperately trying to maintain a close distance between herself and Kanata. It was probably because she would face the Mushi’s attack if they were apart. Although the destructive power of the gigantic Mushi was devastating, as a result, it would drag its master, Kanata into the mess as well.

“I’m going to kill you! Owl!”

“Let’s see you try!”

Right before Chiharu’s eyes, the two of them were engaged in a fistfight.

No, it wasn’t merely a fistfight.

It was a death bout.

The man made no wasteful movements at all despite losing sight of himself in his rage. His attacks were all aimed at the eyes, throat, medulla oblongata et cetera, vital spots of the human body.

Opposing him, Chami too did not have any shred of hesitation nor mercy. The tip of the spanner, currently bent till an L-shape, aimed only at the man’s head or heart. There were no doubts that she was intending on ending his life in a single blow.

“Someone like you dares to dream of obtaining Fuyuhotaru and Horisaki Azusa! Those are my prey! They’re not opponents that a mere accessory like you can handle!”

“What does a piece of shit like you know! Even for an accessory that was bound by a worthless mission for years, so much so that even the mission was forgotten! Even I have those worthless things like my puny pride and ambition! To be used by others my whole life, that can go eat shit! I will use of anything at my disposal! Not for the sake of anyone else, but all for myself!”

The two of them shouted passionately, baring their emotions as they fought to the death.

Chiharu hugged her quivering body as she fixed her eyes at the fight that was unfolding.

Hey, how are you over there…?

Perhaps it was a result of the lack of oxygen due to the spouting smoke. As her consciousness became muddy, her ‘narrating quirk’ emerged unconsciously.

Today, I experienced yet another peaceful day—or so I thought, but I was utterly wrong. This kind of battles… were unfolding right by my side even as I remained unknowing. I finally know. I thought that I was living in happiness every day, but in fact, in places unrelated to me—.

A sharp pain assaulted Chiharu’s head.

—Unrelated to you? Heh, really?

Somebody whispered by her ear.

Chiharu widened her eyes.

It’s related… to me? I, the Mushi and Mushitsuki… Indeed, after all, I—.

“Don’t look down me…!”

Chami’s screaming voice brought Chiharu back to reality. Slipping through the arms of Kanata who looked out over her, Chami strike at him with all the strength behind her body.

“I’ll make any and everyone prostrate before me!”

A dull sound rang out with a ''dosuu''.

The spanner with Chami’s whole weight behind it pierced deeply into the man’s chest.

Struggling to catch her breath, Chami flashed a satisfied smile.

Kanata had stopped moving. Light vanished from his pupil in his broadly opened eyes—he glared at Chami through his dulling pupils.

“Wha-—”

Another dull sound rang out again.

Kanata had thrusted his hand into Chami’s torso. The unpleasant sound of flesh being penetrated entered Chiharu’s ears. Stabbed into the abdomen by the man’s arm strongly, red blood spilled out all at once.

“…''Puu''—”

Blood spewed out from Chami’s mouth. Kanata sent a kick towards Chami, sending her petite body flying through the air effortlessly. Her body hit the ground and rolled all the way till Chiharu’s side. Her fallen off spectacle was sent sliding past Chiharu to behind her.

“Ch-—”

Chiharu rushed towards Chami’s side.

“Chami-chan! Chami-chan!”

Chiharu lifted up Chami who was collapsed face up on the floor. Chami’s face distorted from intense pain for an instance. But, she immediately showed a frail smile, and spoke weakly.

“He… really… became… a monster… S-serves me right… to get killed because of my own ability… Kuhahaa…”

Kanata and the gigantic centipede drew near to Chami who was laughing self-mockingly.

Looking at him, Chiharu did not know if the man was even human anymore. The spanner was still driven into the man’s chest even now as he continued to groan. It was unmistakably a fatal injury.

“Ah-ah… so I’m going to meet my end here… I guess this is it for a third-rate small-time villain after all…”

Chami coughed up blood as she frowned at Chiharu.

“What are you doing… quickly get out of here… didn’t I tell you that this fight has nothing to do with you…”

“…!”

Chiharu couldn’t produce any words and only shook her head frantically.

It was not unrelated to her. She had that sort of feeling.

“Just get away… If you don’t leave quickly, this place will soon…”

Chiharu shook her head and tried to drag Chami’s body along with her. She desperately tried to put some distance between them and Kanata and his Mushi, but could not do much with her arm strength. The floor was smudged with blood through the places over which Chami was dragged.

“You idiot… I have yet to lose… I will… drag him down along with me over here, so…”

Chami spouted urgently.

“It doesn’t have nothing to do with me… Didn’t I say before! That we are friends…!”

Chiharu was unable to recall the foremost reason, but for now, she cried out the reason that came to her mind.

It wasn’t a lie.

Chiharu did not dislike the Chami that had a tall pride and spoke as if people other than herself were objects that belonged her. Chami mentioned herself that she was nothing but an accessory, but at that moment when she shouted out proudly about her desires honestly, she looked especially queenly.

Chami turned angry.

“Don’t be such an idiot…! Don’t throw away your life for such a meaningless reason…! How far are you going to go… to act like the main character…!”

[[File:Mushi Uta 4 p331.jpg|thumb]]

“''GRrAAAaa!''”

It was not the scream of a human. At the same time as when the man raised a roar, the blue centipede rushed at Chiharu and Chami.

“…!”

Chiharu resigned herself to her death.

However, right before the centipede chomp down on the stiffened Chiharu and Chami, its movements stopped abruptly.

“''GRR… RuAAa''…”

Kanata’s behaviour was weird. He seemed as if he was being mindful of something, looking around left and right at the surroundings.

“…?”

Before Chiharu and Chami who looked at him dazedly, the man’s action became increasingly unusual. He looked agitatedly over every single corner of the floor with his bloodshot eyes.

“You’re… still going to get in my way…!”

The man started to shout out unfathomable words.

“You should have already been killed by me! That time, in this tower…! You’re still going to get in my way, you damn cat!”

“…!”

Chami was the only one who gasped.

Chiharu still did not understand the situation, and followed the man’s line of sight. But, the figure of said cat was nowhere to be seen.

“Something like that… to you who has gone mad… is obviously just your hallucination…”

Chami laughed peculiarly. However, tears formed on the corner of her eyes.

“Or could it be… Damn it…! Are you trying to say that even though you’ve died, you still want me and Chiharu to live… don’t kid me… ''Owl!''”

Chami shouted hoarsely.

Chiharu could not understand the meaning behind her words.

“How dare you just go ahead and die by yourself! Didn’t I order you to trudge with me along this shitty life! And yet, you went and died with a smile! The me who you swore loyalty to is just a cowardly and dirty and weak accessory! Even so, you want this kind of shitty me to go on living? You want me to continue down this shitty life, Owlet!”

Chami was truly lamenting. The girl who had taken the world as her enemy and still flashed an undefeatable smile was currently wailing. She cried out miserably, spluttering out saliva which was mixed with blood and laying her weakness to bare.

''Pushii''—.

They heard the sound of air being expelled.

Cool water droplets formed on the cheeks of the ash-ridden Chiharu.

Right after, a bright white light flashed in front of her eyes. The bright light gouged a large hole in the blue centipede, scooping out a straight line through the floor. Kanata threw his head backwards in surprise.

“''Haah… Haah''…”

A lone youth stood behind Chiharu and Chami. The headband wrapped around his head laid in tatters and his whole body was covered in blood. One could tell with one look that his limply hanging right arm was fractured.

“You…!”

It was somebody Chiharu knew.

Indeed, she had seen the youth’s face for an instant before when he was fighting against the centipede at the lower floors. At that time, she had been preoccupied with thoughts about Mushi and had forgotten his face till now.

“…Yo.”

The youth looked at Chiharu with an exhausted expression and blood flowing from his head.

He was the youth she met in front of Nishito City station, the one who was together with the girl known as Anmoto Shiika who lent her some cash.

“''Tch''… why’re you only appearing now…! You this useless…!”

With traces of tear streaks remaining on her face, Chami spat out spitefully with difficulty.

“I see, so what happened in this tower was the work of you guys, eh. As expected, we were being made use of conveniently, huh…”

“Enough about that… hurry and get your ass up chop-chop! This place is soon going to—”

“Yeah, it’s probably a good idea to make haste. Was it also part of your scheme to stop that guy here… seems not, you probably intended for us to fight at a lower floor and seal off our escape route, right?”

Chiharu had no inkling about what was Chami and the youth talking about at all.

“Aijisupa-san…!”

A voice came from beyond the centipede that was writhing in agony.

“Shiika-chan…?”

Looking at the astonished Chiharu, Shiika too appeared surprised. She stood there as if frozen.

“Ah…!”

Chami started to get worked up from within Chiharu’s arms all of a sudden. She tried to crawl her way towards Shiika.

“D-damn it…! You’re mine…! You were supposed to end up in my palm…!”

“…So that’s it. You guys are the enemy as well.”

“Eh…?”

“''GRrAAAaa!''”

The youth raised his left hand in the direction of the howling Kanata.

Right after they heard the sound of air being ejected, a white flash struck Kanata and the centipede. Taking opportunity of the moment when the man flinched, the youth rushed by Shiika’s side.

“Let’s go. Hurry up.”

“W-what about them…?”

“They’re the enemy.”

Pulling Shiika along by her arm, the youth ran. They ran towards the staircase further in.

“Shit! Stop right there…!”

Chami stretched out her hand, but there was no way she could reach Shiika. Her face twisted and she screamed out in rage as if she wanted to curse the whole world.

“You’re kidding me… Don’t you dare kid me! Fuyuhotaru! You probably don’t even regard me in your eyes, right! But, remember this! I will definitely get you into my hands without fail! I’ll make use of you all for my sake! I’ll reach the ‘heart’ of the Mushitsuki before anyone else! No matter who it is! Every single one of you are going to prostrate before me, Konomura Chami!”

No longer caring about appearances, Chami declared her anger and ambition.

Yesterday, when Chiharu spoke with Chami in front of the station, she had just thought that she was a cool girl unbefitting of her age. However, looking at her current appearance, she finally comprehended the true character of Konomura Chami. Beneath her fearless smiling expression, an ambition incongruous with her small size constantly swirled.

It was relentless and deceitful, but more than anything, it was sheer ambition. That was what Konomura Chami held.

“C-Chami-chan…!”

Her voice dying down, Chami ran out of strength. She sank onto the ground limply without moving.

“Damn it, damn it…! Damn it all to hell…!”

“W-we need to escape immediately…!”

Chiharu lifted Chami up by her arm and placed her on her back.

She headed for the escalator with Chami’s legs dragging behind. Wisps of flames could already be seen licking up from below. The hot air blew Chiharu’s hair upwards.

Chiharu did not know what exactly, but her intuition told her something dangerous approached.

“''GRrAAAaa!''”

Kanata turned his gaze in their direction.

“It’s fine already… just let me down already…! I-it’s too late at this rate…!”

Arms of fire reached out from below, swallowing the area from behind where Kanata and the centipede were at.

Chiharu quickly climbed up the escalator; she was just a few steps away from the next floor.

“R-run, quickly…!”

Chami raised her voice anxiously.

Chiharu saw a small spark from within the sea of flames.

“…!”

Reflexively, she threw Chami onto the floor above.

Then, the next instance.

Explosions rocked the restaurant floor.

Left on the escalator, Chiharu was thrown off by the explosion that blasted out from below.

“…”

All sound disappeared and she lost sensation of her body.

Ah-ah, so you recalled it—.

She seemed to hear somebody’s voice.

In her head, something clicked into place.

Visions of the past were brought back to her.

—Why… why is it that I must forget about it no matter what!

A young Chiharu yelled. There was nobody in her surroundings at all, but her dialogue partner was right by her side.

The location changed and Chiharu was smiling. Under the evening skies dyed red, Chiharu was walking next to a young man.

—This sky… and even your face? I must lose it all…?

Even as there was a smile on her face, she was crying in her heart.

—Then… who am I going to become?

It happened while Chiharu was still young, when she was still a primary school student.

From that day onwards, Chiharu became “Ayukawa Chiharu”.

Before then, Chiharu had a different surname.

Engulfed in the shockwave, Chiharu spoke to her beloved person.

I finally remembered…

Tears fell from her eyes.

Slammed into the wall, she looked at the burning Urban Dome beyond the cracked window.

She felt as if she could see the green paradise being cooked into charcoal in the blazing dome in slow-motion.

—No, that’s wrong.

The thing that burnt into nothingness were the carefree days that Chiharu spent with overflowing happiness.

The paradise in which she lived her ordinary days having forgotten her sin as well as what was important crumbled.

Chiharu recalled everything.

I… '''The me who was Aria Varei''' had done some very cruel things to you…

No, that’s wrong. This must have been what you thought—.

Once more, the somebody whispered.

That the thing that was truly cruel, was how you completely forgot about him—.